


Ups and Downs

by OneSkyOneDestiny127



Category: Tales of Zestiria
Genre: Amusement Parks, M/M, Modern AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-07
Updated: 2016-02-07
Packaged: 2018-05-18 22:09:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5944957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OneSkyOneDestiny127/pseuds/OneSkyOneDestiny127
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sorey, Mikleo and the gang had plans to go to the beach but changed their minds. With Mikleo being deathly afraid of roller coasters, he can't escape this one.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ups and Downs

Upbeat music played in the background, various smells of corn dogs, cotton candy, popcorn, funnel cake and other notorious amusement park food mingled in the air, citizens walking around excitedly and -- the looming death trap above them. “Joyous” screams whizzed by before disappearing briefly, only to come back for another moment, the silver haired male holding back an unnerved shudder. The restaurant they were in was situated underneath one of the largest roller coasters at the park, a little “taste” of the ride before you stepped foot on it. The packed, air conditioned restaurant shook with the rumbles the roller coaster caused as the cart rolled by fast, the young man's ears tuning out the words his friends spoke as he thought about the impending doom above them. 

If there was one thing Mikleo hated more than the nickname “Meebo,” it was roller coasters. The fast paced things that were on rickety old tracks that were only maintenanced who knows how often were mind boggling to him as to how people could  _ enjoy _ being on them. How safe could someone be strapped into a small cart going 60 miles an hour on curves and twists and loops? He’d been to countless amusement parks throughout the years, usually alone with Sorey, and he was almost always able to weasel his way out of going onto the deadly coasters. 

Today was much different. What had started as a trip to the beach (the entire group was ready in swim gear but that seemed to have been forgotten) had turned into a trip to the amusement park by the beach, the normal, overzealous leader of the group deciding, “Hey, let’s go to the amusement park instead of the beach!” and everyone was quick to agree. That irritated Mikleo to no end, as he received jabs from Edna that he was just too scared to have people know he was afraid of the big scary rides at the park. Of course, he denied that fact, and had to sit in the car with his arms crossed while they changed course and headed to the park. 

Now, on this hot summer day in the middle of lunch with the group clad mostly in tanks and shorts (excluding Zaveid - the man never wore shirts as it was), Mikleo knew that the next destination of rides would be the death of him. Sorey was always the one to decide what rides they went on, not that anyone minded. They’d been all around the park, standing in lines that took so long to shorten, laughing amongst themselves with jokes they made, and with lunch underway, Sorey had made the announcement that Mikleo was dreading. 

“Let’s all go to the roller coaster after lunch!” 

How he would get away with this one would be tough. Using the lame excuse such as “ _ I just ate and don’t want to get sick on the ride,” _ would be too obvious and would most likely result in more ridicule. The majority of his slow eating was mostly procrastination, knowing that it’d keep the group occupied with talking to one another whilst they waited, and while no one was speaking directly to him, he’d have time to plan an excuse. His past excuses when it was just him and Sorey at the park with their guardian Gramps was,  _ “Sorey, it’s already getting late - we should go on the other rides again instead! I don’t want us to get sick on the ride.” _ That one always worked. Sorey was fine with doing anything as long as they both wanted to do it, but now with the group… oh, this would be quite the challenge.

Mikleo was brought back to reality as a hand touched his shoulder, violet eyes locking with the familiar green that held the most dazzling smile - it was a worried one, but dazzling nonetheless. “You okay there, Mikleo? I haven’t seen you that in thought in a while.” Sorey commented, his touch lingering on Mikleo’s lean shoulder.

The silver haired young man scoffed playfully and patted Sorey’s hand, offering his brunette partner a reassuring smile in return, “I’m fine. Just getting sidetracked.” 

Sorey nodded, satisfied with the answer before he turned his head to the rest of the group, talking above them with extreme vigor, “Are we all ready to go? We should get in line now if we want to get on the ride anytime soon.” 

Zaveid was quick to jump up, being the second most excited to ride the coaster. “Hell yeah! Let’s hurry up and get our asses upstairs!” The oldest of the group left the restaurant after his announcement; Rose, Lailah, and Edna all followed as they continued their conversation before the interruptions, and Mikleo was slow to get up. His hands were getting jittery and the more he thought about having to stand in line and watch the coaster roll by, the more anxious he got.

There was no traumatic reasoning behind him being afraid of coasters, he just hated the thought of being on something going so fast that was so unsafe. He hated it when Sorey drove too fast on the winding roads leading up to their house and whenever Sorey did do it, he was quick to give the brunette a scolding for being dangerous on the road. It was always a joke and Sorey never meant any harm, but that didn’t stop Mikleo from hating it. 

“Seriously, Mikleo, don’t bottle things up if you’re not okay.” Sorey had stopped his hasty following of Zaveid when he noticed his silver haired partner wasn’t beside him, and now he was standing in front of Mikleo once more, now apart from the group. “I can tell something’s bothering you, you’re getting that look on your face.”

Mikleo tsked, “I don’t have a look, I’m-”

“When something is bothering you, your nose gets scrunched up. It’s super small to notice but I can tell it’s there. It’s not like the look you get when you’re thinking, when your eyebrows are drawn slightly together and your eyes get that serious look in them.” Sorey explained, cutting Mikleo off from denying the fact, easily spotting Mikleo’s antics after all the years together.

Mikleo went to protest but he knew it was useless. Sorey knew him too well and he wasn’t about to try to fight the brunette on it. He sighed in defeat but didn’t explain what was bothering him, “Okay, you got me. But, it’s nothing to worry about. I’ll tell you later, once we’re home. Ah, that reminds me - are they spending the night?” Mikleo changed the subject, hoping to throw Sorey off the previous topic.

Sorey seemed to suddenly remember that he was supposed to ask the group what the plan was going to be, and he rubbed the back of his neck, “I actually forgot to ask them… whoops. But! Knowing Rose, she’ll convince everyone to stay so you can make some frozen treats for us tonight after the park, so-” Sorey’s demeanor changed as he looked “sternly” at Mikleo, “You’re trying to change the subject. If you’re going to be this stingy on whatever is bothering you, then you better tell me later or I’ll make you tell me.

“Is that a threat?” Mikleo put his hand over his mouth as he stifled a laugh, knowing that Sorey’s threats were usually just tickle fights. They were annoying, but surely weren’t worth the look he was receiving from the brunette. “Don’t worry, you’ll get a full explanation later, once everyone is asleep.” Mikleo promised, aware that Sorey would be one of the first to conk out after all his energy would be exhausted here.

“Don’t keep the burden for yourself,” Sorey grinned his normal comforting grin, reciting the usual words he received from Mikleo. He then leaned down and pressed a kiss to Mikleo’s cheek, hand slipping into the silver haired man’s as he began to tug him out of the restaurant. “Come on, we gotta go catch up with the others.” 

Mikleo could feel the gentle heat in his cheeks at the small display of affection, their hands locked together being a pleasant warm sensation despite the heat of the summer day. He nodded once, following his excited partner up to the start of the line, where they met up with the rest of the group. Sorey, still worried about Mikleo, kept hold of the silver haired male's hand, not minding the heat as they stood side by side, fingers locked tightly in place.

Mikleo tried his hardest to not watch the coaster zipping by as they moved steadily throughout the line, laughs passing between the group when Zaveid’s flirting with the girl in front of them was stopped by Edna’s sarcastic remarks. Something along the lines of, “He never wears a shirt because he thinks it attracts women,” really made the girl turn around and continue to talk to her friends awkwardly, now avoiding Zaveid’s advances. 

“Edna, why can’t you just be a team player?” Zaveid complained, excited attitude turned to disappointment in a split second.

“Why be a team player when you can be the one on the sidelines booing?” Edna replied with an innocent smile, twirling her umbrella around in her hand. 

For some reason, the interaction was proving to be funny to the group, with Rose joining in on the jabs at Zaveid. Lailah tried to conceal her laughter, but it was obvious with the way her hands were cupped over her mouth. 

The teasing went on for the a short amount of time before the topic was changed to plans for later that night, and Mikleo had almost forgotten what ride they were in line for - until they were next. His amusement towards Zaveid’s usual attire and the movies they had planned to watch whilst snacks were made were instantly cut short as he heard the clinking of the cart climbing up the hill, the excited chatter of the people in the cart before screams erupted in the air.  _ “Oh god, we’re next. We’re going to die. Or I’m going to die.” _ Mikleo thought to himself, once again tuning out the words and laughter his friends were sharing. This was the main reason he rarely went to the amusement parks with the group, and now that he was forced to tag along with the surprise change, there was no avoiding the inevitable of being dragged onto the coaster. 

Zaveid and Edna took the back of the carts once they were permitted to begin entering the ride, with Lailah and Rose ahead of them. Mikleo was still hesitant, and that caused him to delay Sorey getting on despite the brunette wanting to be one of the first on the ride. He felt his hand being tugged eagerly, dragging him closer to the carts as Sorey slipped in, finally releasing Mikleo’s hand. The silver haired male tapped his fingers against his thigh, getting anxious once more as he realized there was no way he’d get out of this. All the excuses he had would be futile against the group, and there was no pretending to be sick. The silver haired man stood beside the cart that Sorey was sitting in, reluctant to actually sit. 

He flinched as the ride operator asked him to sit down, and as Mikleo tried to force himself to sit, he saw the arch in front of them that would lead to the first drop. His hands gripped the edges of the cart briefly before he stood up straight once more, arms out at his sides as he shook his head, “You guys can enjoy the ride - I’m not getting on it.” Mikleo hoped that he could get away before any of his friends made fun of him, but he was stopped by a hand clasped on his wrist.

“Wait, why? What’s wrong, Mikleo?” Sorey asked, confusion dancing in his eyes.

“I can’t enjoy roller coasters like you can. Have fun on it, I’m going to go wait for you guys on solid ground.” Mikleo attempted to pull his wrist out of Sorey’s grasp, head turned away once more. That was when he felt Sorey standing beside him now, voice quieter so that the rest of the group couldn’t hear despite them trying to ask questions.

Sorey leaned in closer to his smaller partners face, a surprisingly serious expression in place. “You could’ve said something earlier. I’ll go stand with you while they ride.” Sorey offered Mikleo a reassuring smile, but Mikleo only felt a pang of guilt.

The sudden change in plan had been Sorey’s idea, and Mikleo wasn’t about to be the stick in the mud that ruined the fun day Sorey was having before hand. “No, don’t do that. Enjoy the ride, I’ll be fine standing down there for about two minutes.” Mikleo chuckled to try and show Sorey that he was truly fine, but Sorey wasn’t about to settle for it.

“No, I’m not going to leave you alone. I can stand not going on it - it’s just a ride.” Sorey then began to walk towards the exit, waiting for Mikleo to follow. The silver haired man contemplated quickly on what he should do; leaving is a very likable option, but he also knew that Sorey was always the one to comply with his friends wishes instead of following his own. At that one thought, Mikleo gestured for Sorey to walk back towards him as he slid into the cart.

“Despite me absolutely hating these things, I’ll do it. For you.” Mikleo said the last part quietly, his arms crossed in the usual “Don’t say anything about my mushy side,” way. 

At first, Sorey was shocked into stillness, but then he broke out into a large grin and climbed back into the cart, placing a big kiss on Mikleo’s cheek. “Mikleo, you’re the best!” Sorey gleefully spoke, pulling the harness down against their laps so it locked into place, the ride operator finally able to make their round to assure that the harnesses were secure. Mikleo, as he watched the ride operator go back to where the big ol’ green start button was in the small booth off to the right, he could feel his heart drop. As much as he appreciated Sorey’s kiss and it made his heart flutter, he couldn’t deny that he was still  _ petrified _ of the machine. 

There was a jolt as the cart started, its slow ascent up to the top of the first drop leaving Mikleo to white knuckle grip the harness. He could distantly hear Edna teasing him about it but Mikleo couldn’t muster a retort, letting the small blonde get away with her usual mocking this time. He could hear Sorey and Rose already fake screaming as they waved their arms wildly in the air, excitement obvious in the way they acted. 

The cart slowed to a crawl as it reached the top, the people towards the front of the cart exclaiming about the height before it quickly fell, speeding along the track that it was destined to follow. Mikleo went from gripping the bar to his arms wrapping around Sorey in a death grip - luckily the taller brunette had his arms up so it made Mikleo’s grabbing of Sorey much easier - with his head forward and eyes watching the upcoming turns and twists the cart would go on. He could feel Sorey laughing at the way Mikleo acted, but his grip only tightened with each sudden jerk of the cart, occasional screams passing his lips that were full of fear. 

The clicking of the cart, the screams of the people in the cart, the whirs of the railing working to keep them at a constant speed made Mikleo regret getting on the ride. At any moment the cart could derail and that’d be it - they’d all be dead. Oh, why did he get on this damned ride? Mikleo was distracted when he felt a hand on his jaw, his partner’s left arm going to wrap around his back in a seemingly comfort way. They were nearing the end, he could tell, but was pulled into a sudden kiss just as a flash went off. Mikleo was sidetracked from the fear he was previously feeling with the kiss, his face instantly heating up. He could tell that his partner was smiling, and Mikleo couldn’t help but smile as well when the ride came to a stop. Of course, there was a happy cheer from Rose behind them and clapping from Lailah - they were always excited to see Sorey and Mikleo be affectionate, they had to be their biggest supporters. 

Mikleo pulled away from Sorey in embarrassment, glancing back at the two girls before he huffed, eyes locking with the familiar green. “What was that for? We could’ve bonked heads or something.” 

“You’ll see why I did it.” Sorey grinned mischievously, sliding out of the cart once the harness went up, his hand out to Mikleo. Mikleo gave Sorey a curious glance but got out, locking hands with the brunette as they left the ride. The silver haired man couldn’t say he particularly enjoyed the ride but he could see how people thought it was fun, now. He’d probably go on one again if Sorey was adamant about it. 

The group walked down the ramp leading off the ride until they stopped, their eyes looking over the cameras that held their pictures. It was then that Mikleo realized just why Sorey gave him that kiss - so it would be caught on camera. Mikleo’s hair was flying about aimlessly, his purple eyes wide with shock and fear, whereas Sorey was smiling widely, eyes only showing excitement with his hair blown back from the wind. Sorey had let go of Mikleo’s hand in order to talk to the person behind the counter, buying the picture before he returned to Mikleo’s side.

“I still don’t see why you had to kiss me in front of the cameras.” Mikleo looked at Sorey with his nose scrunched up, eyes occasionally glancing down at the picture.

“Well, that’s an easy thing to explain!” Sorey cheerfully said, his arm going to wrap around Mikleo’s waist easily, “It’s because I wanted to give you a kiss for getting on the ride despite your fear, and it’s a good way to make your first time on a rollercoaster more memorable.” Sorey grinned in his usual way, pressing another chaste kiss to Mikleo’s lips.

Mikleo felt flustered with the reason, his hand gently slapping his boyfriend's chest, before he smiled shyly. “That is a good reason. Thank you, Sorey.” Mikleo whispered, once again ignoring the remarks Edna made about his fear of the ride. How could he care when his partner was always so sweet?

  
The rest of the day went by much more smoothly, with Mikleo trying out the rides that Sorey wanted to go on, and they all made their way back to Sorey and his house afterwards. Mikleo made ice pops and once they had all settled for a movie, almost everyone fell asleep instantly from the exhaustion of the day. As much as Mikleo hated roller coasters, he couldn’t hate them today. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to my cousin for helping me with the idea and the name of the work!


End file.
